Lined pipelines generally have a metallic pipe or tube whose inner surface is bonded to a nonmetallic lining material which can be corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant.
As used herein, "wear-resistant" is intended to both abrasive and/or corrosive attack. A pipe section according to the invention will be considered to be a length of piping which can be formed at its ends with means enabling it to be connected to other pipe sections and fittings to form the pipe-line and having a certain length. Generally, in the pipelines with which the invention is concerned, an abrasive or simultaneously abrasive and corrosive fluid medium will be conducted through the pipeline.
The pipe length or section can be connected to other sections to form the pipeline by welding or can have flanges so that a flange connection can join the pipe sections together.
Pipe sections have been fabricated heretofore, as has already been noted, with a lining of nonmetallic material bonded fixedly to the inner surface of the outer shell or pipe which can be composed of a metallic material.
The nonmetallic material forming the lining is, of course, selected to resist the abrasive and/or corrosive stresses or attack which may be applied by the following medium. For example, the lining may be an appropriate plastic or synthetic resin material. Linings of basalt or other inorganic material may also be used and various forms of internally coating the metallic pipe lengths with the lining material may be employed.
Lined pipe sections can be used for the displacement of bulk materials, e.g., for the blowing of bulk fillers into chambers or compartments of subterranean structures in mining or the like.
Notwithstanding the protection by a lining resistant to erosion, substantial wear of the lining does occur with time. This, of course, eliminates the useful life of the pipe section.
When the lining wears beyond a certain point, the entire piping section must be removed and discarded.
Obviously, this approach is expensive, especially when the lining material itself and the form in which it is applied to the pipe section are expensive or involve expensive processes.
In certain cases, wear-resistant materials which have been found to be particularly effective for the handling of highly abrasive bulk materials, for example, certain industrial ceramics and especially nonadhesive synthetic resins used as lining material utilizing conventional techniques, could not be employed in prior art systems.